Freeway safety device



Aug. 9, 1966 v. B. SCHMIDT 3,256,93

FREEWAY SAFETY DEVICE Filed April 24, 1964 INVENTOR. 0f/1dr VBC/zmld United States Patent O 3,266,013 FREEWAY SAFETY DEVICE Lothar V. B. Schmidt, 1246 Daniels Drive, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Apr. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 362,381 4 Claims. (Cl. 340-31) This invention relates generally to road safety devices, and more specifically to a device for arresting vehicles which inadvertently enter the OFF ramp of a throughway system.

A large number of road accidents are caused as a result of vehicles entering a freeway by the exit ramp. It is clear that no degree of visible warning is adequate to ensure against such accidents. My invention is directed to the provision of a mechanically actuated device which positively prevents motor vehicles from entering into OFF ramps against oncoming traffic.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a device of this class which will substantially eliminate highway accidents of the class described.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a panel tripped vehicle arresting device which is -capable of stopping a vehicle operated at high speed without serious injury to the occupants or the vehicle.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a device of the above class which when tripped will simultaneously actuate warning lights indicating that the OFF ramp has been blocked to exit traffic.

A full understanding of the construction of this invention, together with further novel features and advantages, will be had from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a plan view showing one side of a conventional freeway combined with an exit ramp.

FIG. 2 is a plan view shown partly broken away of the vehicle arresting device which comprises my invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional side elevation taken along the lines 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged section of FIG. 3, showing the arrester hooks having been actuated into operating position.

PIG. 5 is a cross sectional fragmentary end elevation taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 7 represents a three lane freeway having a divider 8 and an OFF or exit ramp 9. A vehicle arresting device 10 is shown situated in the vicinity of the end of the exit ramp so as to arrest vehicles approaching in the wrong direction at the earliest possible moment.

The arresting device 10 comprises a rectangular framework 11 which is sunk in an opening 13 formed in the road 14. Structurally the framework includes a number of transversely extending I beams 15 over which a grating 16 is placed so as to come ush with the road surface 17. The grating consists of a number of parallel strips 18 which are suitably spaced so as to perform as a satisfactory wheel bearing surface. The strips extend longitudinally of the framework as clearly seen in FIGS. 2 and 3.

A block trip panel 19 is mounted at one end of the framework such that the mechanism to be described is actuated in the event that this trip panel is the iirst panel to be depressed. The panel is shown supported -by a rod v20 and an -associated coil spring 21 by way of example but any method conventional or otherwise may be used to signal operation of my arresting device. A similar safe trip panel 22 is `disposed at the other end 0f the grating and performs to prevent actuation of the device in the event of vehicles passing thereover in the correct direction.

Patented August 9, 1966 ICC - Referring now to the FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, I have provided an accumulator 23 which is designed to operate at pressures in the order of three thousand pounds per square inch. A valve 24 is controlled by the block trip panel 19 and when released communicates through lines 25 and 26 with two cylinders 27 mounted within each side of the frame in a parallel relationship. A piston 28 is received in each cylinder 27 for actuation therewithin. Each piston has a cylindrical sleeve 29 which extends outwardly through the end of the cylinder as seen best in FIG. 4 of the drawing. A connecting rod 30 slideably engages in the sleeve 29 and moves simultaneously with the piston and sleeve when the piston is actuated by the accumulator. A trunnion 31 is mounted on the end of the connecting rod 30 and connects with a double link 32 having a floating pinned joint 33. The double link terminates with a sleeve 34 which is rigidly mounted to one end of a shaft 35 extending transversely across the frame as seen best in FIG. 2. The shaft 35 is mounted for longitudinal and rotative action relative to the frame by supporting the shaft inwardly of eachend within longitudinally extending slots 36 formed in vertical guide members 37 extending parallel with the sides of the frame in a direction preceded by the cylinders 27 and the shaft 35.

From the descriptions so far it will be clear that actuation of the pistons 2S within the cylinders 27 causes the shaft 35 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 38 in FIG. 3. Four arrester jaws 39 having terminating arcuate hooks 40 are mounted at one end on the shaft in a symmetrically spaced relationship and secured rigidly thereto. Intermediate the spaced jaws 39 are placed shock absorbers indicated generally at 41. The shock absorbers are shown here by way of example as consisting of guide rods 42 having shoes 43 formed at one end for rotatably mounting on the shaft 35 intermediate the arrester jaws. The opposite ends of the guides pass through holes 44 formed in a stop plate 45 which extends transversely between fixed points on the sides of the frame 11. Coiled springs 46 are mounted freely over the guides 42 and engage under compression between the shoes 43 and the stop plate 45. Suitable dust covers 47 are disposed about the coiled springs to maintain the same in a clean operative condition.

It will now be clear that upon actuating the block trip panel 19 the pistons 28 are advanced within their cylinders 27 to cause the shaft 35 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction and thereby rotating the arrester jaws 39 into an upright position as indicated at 39' protruding well above the grating surface. The vehicle precipitating this operation will immediately confront these arrester jaws and the arcuate hooks 40 will firmly engage about the front bumper of the vehicle to arrest the same. As the vehicle continues to move forward the shaft 35 is moved longitudinally within the slots 36 and is retarded by the action of the shock absorbers 41 as will be readily appreciated. The connecting rods 30 are free to move within the piston sleeve 29 over suflicient distance to bring the vehicle t0 a complete stop.

Actuation of the block trip panel 19 also operates a pressure switch 48 which instantaneously illuminates a series of warning lights 49 `disposed on either side of the exit ramp adjacent the entry thereof so as to warn exit trac that the ramp has been blocked.

It is intended that the arresting gear described must be manually reset after 'being actuated so as to ensure that the ramp has Ibeen completely restored for use before the warning lights are extinguished.

Having described the invention in a preferred form, it will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the precise configuration such as the choice of hydraulic or compressed air cylinders, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, as `defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A vehicle arresting device for placement on the exit ramp of a freeway, and comprising, a rectangular framework disposed beneath the exit ramp surface, a grating mounted on top of the framework flush with the ramp surface, trip panels disposed at each end of the framework, a cylinder mounted within the framework subject to actuation by one of the trip panels, a shaft extending transversely beneath the grating and restrained by guide members for movement longitudinally of the framework, arrester jaws protruding radially from the shaft, said shaft having linkage with said cylinder to cause rotation of the shaft, said jaws adapted to project upwardly through the grating in response to rotation of the shaft, and shock absorbers restraining longitudinal movement of the shaft and jaws with respect to the framework.

2. A vehicle arresting device according to claim 1 wherein warning lights are disposed in the vicinity of the entrance to the exit ramp, and a pressure switch operative in response to actuation of said one trip panel to illuminate the lights.

3. A vehicle arresting device according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder receives a piston, a sleeve extending from the piston outwardly of the cylinder, and a connccting rod received freely within the sleeve for actuating said linkage.

4. A vehicle arresting device for stopping vehicles approaching freeway ramps in the wrong direction, and comprising, a framework sunk 'beneath the ramp surface, a grating mounted on the top of the framework forming a continuation of said surface, a trip panel disposed at one end of the framework, an energy storage tank disposed within the framework, two cylinders secured within the framework for operation longitudinally thereof by said storage tank in response to actuation of the panel, a shaft mounted between longitudinal guides for movement in a rotational and longitudinal manner with respect to the framework, arrester jaws secured to the shaft and protruding radially therefrom, a floating linkage extending between the cylinders and the ends of the shaft causing rotation thereof, said jaws adapted to project through and above said grating in response to rotation of the shaft to engage a Vehicle, and shock absorbers restraining longitudinal movement of the shaft and jaws with respect to the framework.

No references cited.

NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

T. B. HABECKER, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A VEHICLE ARRESTING DEVICE FOR STOPPING VEHICLES APPROACHING FREEWAY RAMPS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, AND COMPRISING, A FRAMEWORK SUNK BENEATH THE RAMP SURFACE, A GRATING MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF THE FRAMEWORK FORMING A CONTINUATION OF SAID SURFACE, A TRIP PANEL DISPOSED AT ONE END OF THE FRAMEWORK, AN ENERGY STORAGE TANK DISPOSED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK, TWO CYLINDERS SECURED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK FOR OPERATION LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF BY SAID STORAGE TANK IN RESPONSE TO ACTUATION OF THE PANEL, A SHAFT MOUNTED BETWEEN LONGITUDINAL GUIDES FOR MOVEMENT IN A ROTATIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL MANNER WITH RESPECT TO THE FRAMEWORK, ARRESTER JAWS SECURED TO THE SHAFT AND PROTRUDING RADIALLY THEREFROM, A FLOATING LINKAGE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE CYLINDERS AND THE ENDS OF THE SHAFT CAUSING ROTATION THEREOF, SAID JAWS ADAPTED TO PROJECT THROUGH AND ABOVE SAID GRATING IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF THE SHAFT TO ENGAGE A VEHICLE, AND SHOCK ABSORBERS RESTRAINING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE SHAFT AND JAWS WITH RESPECT TO THE FRAMEWORK. 